The Sony is for me and I have my own lenses for this. I am not planning to use my dad's lenses on this, nor to interchange our lenses. I am just checking whether he can use the old Pentax K lenses with any of the new Pentax DSLR bodies, as he is ultimately planning on getting a DSLR and would like one that allows him to use his own lenses.

Cool.

They are all manual lenses (purchased
25 years ago) and I will see if I can find the model numbers. On the zoom lens, for example, you have to set the focal length and aperture on the lens itself. The old 35mm SLR camera had an indicator in the viewfinder which would notify the user when the combination of focal length and aperture gives the correct exposure. Would the DSLR camera be able to do this with the older lenses? Or would it be pure guesswork?

Actually Pentax has made this easy, you put the camera in M mode on the dial, enable use of aperture ring in the menu, then set the aperture on the lens, and push the Green Button which will stop the lens down and take a meter reading and set the shutter speed for you. You can then vary the shutter speed with the rear dial. Very simple, I use my older lenses all the time.

The K-X comes with an 18-55mm kit lens, which he could also use (presumably this would have autofocus etc etc).

Yes it is a pretty good lens as Kit lenses go, he will find that his old primes (if they are good ones) will perform better than the kit lens at times.

Do post the Focal Length and aperture etc... as listed on the front ring of the lens, we will be happy to let you know which ones to really try to use!

Lloyd

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“For every problem there is a solution which is simple, clean and wrong.” Henry Louis Mencken